The signs of aging are creeping up on me, quietly, but surely. A few wrinkles here, a few gray hairs there. The gray hairs are more translucent then gray. Some hearing loss, which, as I learned from an article on MSNBC, is related to my brain as much as my ears.

I discovered yet another sign of aging unexpectedly this afternoon. I took Daughter to her eye exam and as the appointment was coming to an end, I asked the optometrist if he had seen any increase in eye problems due to excessive computer use. He said that he hadn’t seen an increase in things like nearsightedness or astigmatism, but had gotten more complaints about eyestrain. I said that when I’ve spend some time on the computer and then look up, it’s hard for me to focus on things further away for a few minutes. He asked how old I was – and then said I didn’t have to answer that. I did anyway – I’m 41 – and he said that this trouble with focusing was an early sign of eventually needing bifocals. My age is within the typical range for starting to have this focusing problem. Lovely.

Aha, old age syndrome is what I used to call it. I’ve always worn glasses. I really only needed them to “clear” up some “fuzzies.” I’m 51 so take this from me. When they suggest you get them before you “really” need them. Get them. I did and was very grateful for it. I get the progressive which (in case you don’t know) is that the lenses progress from the top to the bottom with the changes where you need them. It’s so much easier to get used to them little by little. They are very hard to get used to and I feel if you “really” needed them and tried getting used to them that way, it would be very trying.

Oh, I’m right there with you. I started having problems with my near vision when I was 39, and I need reading glasses for computer work. I’m also well into peri-menopause and the fun that brings. But I guess it doesn’t bother me too much. I think about the fact that it isn’t so long ago that folks our age would have been considered old and at the average lifespan. There is still plenty of life ahead for both of us, most likley, thanks to modern times.

You’re right, Amy, middle age now used to be old age some time ago. We’re pretty good at seeing the signs of aging as a normal part of life and dealing with them, rather than freaking out. While the signs of aging occur over time, sometimes it feels as though they are sneaking up on me and making a sudden appearance. I don’t notice one day, and the next I do. That’s the hard part.

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